ISPA (Institut Supérieur de Plasturgie d’Alençon) was founded jointly by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Alençon and by the French Professional Union of Plastics Converters. Those two institutions are still controlling ISPA.

This very peculiar situation requires from ISPA a specific way of conceiving education of production engineers in as much as the " customer " for these engineers is early identified and as he has precisely defined his expectations from the " product " he wishes to hire.

Such a position of ISPA gives the institute its originality and efficiency in its specific field of education (i.e. production engineers in the polymer processing industry).

The aims of the education programme are oriented in four different directions. At end of it, the student has acquired :

• he understands the scientific fundamentals of polymers behaviour,
• he is able to understand analyse, explain and run the techniques and technologies linked to polymer processing,
• he can specify the equipments, materials utilities and services in his field of activities,
• he can situate his activities in respect of safety, environment protection, ergonomic productivity and quality standards.

He is able of

• planning, setting up, organising, budgeting and monitoring the activities of an industrial production unit,
• making relevant decisions to maintain the continuity of these activities,
• managing all the associated resources (human, material, documentary, financial)
• looking permanently for improvements in any related field.

He is able of

• obtaining relevant behaviours from all his contacts (subordinates, colleagues, internal or external services),
• behaving himself in the way his hierarchy and more broadly his " customers " may expect from him,
• ensuring proper communication relevant to his function whether it is written or oral,
• he speaks not only French but also English as a minimum.

He is able of

• being positively accepted in a group or an organisation,
• cooperating with other functions within the company
• situating his activities in the overall context of the company
• contributing to the development and growth of the company through his own creativity, open mind and aspirations.

Those four major targets led to specific education programme which takes into account not only the basic knowledge but also the professional skills and the behaviour.

In the end the graduate student should

Know what to know

Know what to do and how

Know what to be

The programme is articulated around seven major modulus

• Polymer science
• General engineering
• Polymer processing
• Industrial process management
• Human resources
• Economy and finance
• Languages

The diploma is attributed to those of the students who are able to show an acceptable level in each of those modulus.

Over the top, ISPA, considers also for the graduation the results of the three compulsory industrial periods (operator -1 month ; materials and processes - 4 months ; industrial project - 4 months) and of specific tasks required from the students in the interest of the Institute (technical, maintenance, documentation, technology, transfer, R&D, communication etc...)

The very close link with the industry, associated with the specific pedagogical approach of the Institute and the cooperation with relevant resources centres ( University, Tech centres.. ;) has positioned ISPA as the reference in Europe for professional production engineers in Plastics processing.

This position is still reinforced by a rising network cooperation with academic institutions, in the close area like Université du Maine, Université de Caen Basse Normandie, Institut des Sciences de la matière et du Rayonnement appliqué, as well as foreign Universities in Germany, USA and Canada. Those cooperations are intended to develop new industrial solutions with the support of recognized scientific institutions.